


Caravan of the Heavens

by scifishipper



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M, Kobol, Mysticism, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-21
Updated: 2011-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-26 10:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/281720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scifishipper/pseuds/scifishipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lee and Laura arrive on Kobol, they find their destinies irrevocably tied.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caravan of the Heavens

**Author's Note:**

  * For [astreamofstars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astreamofstars/gifts).



**PROLOGUE**

 _Kobol_

Laura stands next to Lee in the waist-high grass of the Tomb of Athena, their fingers just brushing as Elosha speaks. Her voice is lilting, its sacred message spreading out among the small gathering of witnesses: Billy, Kara, his father, and a cluster of military and civilian men and women look on. The sun has just dipped below the horizon, tendrils of red and orange brightening the twelve monoliths that surround the ceremony. Lee’s heart pounds in his chest as the weight of their actions settles around him. Disbelief flits through his mind as he listens to Elosha’s sacred words, remembering how he never used to believe in the gods and now he serves them. It still almost makes no sense. And yet it does.

He turns his head to see Laura, her face glowing in the sunlight, the crinkled ridges around her eyes deepening as she glances at him and her mouth curves into a small smile. She’s beautiful, radiant as the light catches on her hair, the russet edged with gold as she shifts under his gaze. He feels a cresting of emotion, a feeling that everything he is about to do is right, destined, and so utterly different from how he ever imagined his life to be.

Elosha’s words calm him, her seductive tenor pulling him deeper into belief.

“It is written that ‘the lords anointed a leader to guide the caravan of the heavens to their new homeland, and in that caravan was a companion with the name of a god, a lover, and a betrothed, and the Lords showed the destiny of the children of the Thirteenth Tribe upon their union.’” Elosha takes a breath. “And so we stand in the waning light of the gods, awaiting the sign from the heavens, lighting our way out of the darkness to follow in the path of the chosen ones.”

Laura’s eyes are bright as she stares at the priestess and he admires her strength, knows that this decision has been difficult and that despite her resolve, this last step is terrifying. Elosha speaks solemnly, her gaze directed at Laura, “Laura Roslin, do you vow and affirm your commitment to the union and sacrifice of marriage to Leland Adama?”

Sweat beads along Lee’s brow despite the cooling air and his legs are weak under him.

Laura swallows and speaks, “I do vow and affirm.” Her voice shakes a little and Lee’s mind snaps back to her oath of office just two short months prior, the waver in her voice, the shaking of her splayed-wide fingers, how he could not breathe for the weight of what he was witnessing.

He wets his lips, forcing himself to keep breathing as Elosha turns towards him and fixes her eyes to his. “Leland Adama, do you vow and affirm your commitment to the union and sacrifice of marriage to Laura Roslin?”

He feels his head bob in answer before the words emerge. His voice is loud and sure. “I do vow and affirm.” His throat tightens with emotion, a profound and sudden love for this woman, this remarkable and beautiful woman who will lead them to the promised land. And he stands by her side.

Elosha nods and extends the book of Pythia and Lee lays his hand on top of Laura’s, feels their shared trembling.

With a smile in her voice, Elosha says the final words, “With the blessings of the Lords of Kobol, I sanctify this union. May the Lords watch over you and deliver you to your sacred end. So say we all.”

“So say we all,” the crowd murmurs in unison.

Lee grips Laura’s hand and turns to face her, elation and wonder filling him. Her face is awash in the last remnants of gold sun, her eyes lit and shining. He leans forward, kisses her tenderly, and steps back, their fingers still intertwined. Her face flushes and she exhales with a rush of air and laughter. He squeezes her hand and, grinning, they turn to face the crowd.

They are married.

 

 **PART ONE**

 _Galactica, A Week Prior_

Lee stares at the darkening blood on his hands and arms, the sticky remains of holding his fingers against his father’s gunshot wound. Colonel Tigh has sent him here and the reminder of his betrayal spreads almost to his elbows and smears onto his clothes. As of this moment, he does not know if his father is alive or dead.

With effort, he looks away from the red stain, swallows and takes a breath. Today has quickly become one of the worst in his short life. First Zak’s death, then the destruction of the Colonies, and now seeing his father shot in front of him by a trusted member of the Galactica family. Lee’s guts roil and he shifts against sourness in his stomach. This day and his own betraying actions are emblazoned in his mind forever.

Across from him in a separate cell, his lover and President of the Twelve Colonies, Laura Roslin, watches, dressed in her now wrinkled black suit, her face drawn down in concern for Lee. He purposely does not look at her, his anger at himself and at her threatening to spill over.

“I’m sorry about your father, Lee. Do you know his condition?” Laura’s voice is anxious across the small space between their cells.

“I don’t know anything right now, Laura.” He can’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. Everything he had hoped to accomplish has been shattered by his father’s shooting. Now the weight of his betrayal makes him sick.

She doesn’t respond and guilt for his harshness pings somewhere in the back of his mind. He should probably apologize, but he can’t look at her. He loves her, but his grief sheds a thick black film on everything he feels now.

After a few moments she speaks to him again, “Who is in charge now, Lee? Is it Colonel Tigh?” He frowns and shifts his body away from her voice and closes his eyes. The image of his father’s blood pouring onto the table fills his eyelids and squeezes tears from the corners.

“I don’t care, Laura. I don’t frakking care right now.” He’s tired of the fight for democracy, the struggle to find some common ground in the Fleet. He hates the cylons and the Fleet and everything attached to the blood on his hands. Most of all he hates himself.

“Colonel Tigh cannot command this Fleet without your father. You need to go out there, disavow me, curse me, do whatever you need to do to be in the CIC.”

Lee laughs bitterly, tilting his head around but not quite meeting her eyes. “I held a gun to the XO’s head, he won’t forget that any time soon.”

He senses Laura moving nearer. “I am so sorry I got you into this…”

Lee snorts, imagining her politician’s face, doesn’t really know if she’s sorry or not. “No, don’t apologize. And I didn’t do it for you. Turns out…I did it for nothing.” His voice is hard and dismissive and he knows his words hurt, just as they are meant to. He expected her support when he drew his gun on Tigh and she failed him. Now he is cuffed inside a cell when he should be at his father’s side. How he will cope if his father dies, he does not know. Grief begins to well up inside him and he leans into the corner of the cell. It’s too much to face.

An hour passes without the pair speaking. He hears Laura’s shuffling in the next cell and listens as the guard shift changes. When Billy arrives later, he turns his head to see Laura greet her trusted companion. He hands her a package, her medication, and Lee feels his stomach twist, yet another weight re-emerging from beneath his own pain. Laura’s cancer is ever present and he swallows bile.

The cuffs dig into his wrists as he stands and moves toward the part of the cell that is closest to her. She looks over Billy’s shoulder and gives him a tender and encouraging smile. He holds her eyes and smiles a little in answer, then dips his head and steps back. The thickness in his chest eases a bit and he lies down on the rack and closes his eyes.

For the third time in his life, he prays.

:: :: ::

Several hours pass before they hear anything about his father, and in that time, Tigh has agreed to let Lee fly again. He keeps him on a tight leash, but finally, he is able to go to sickbay.

Ishay shows Lee to the proper bed and he takes a deep breath before parting the blue curtains. It doesn’t prepare him for the red and raw gash that runs down the middle of his father’s chest. Thick black staples, looking like angry bugs, hold his body together and Lee swallows down bile.

His steps make no sound as he moves to the bedside and reaches tentatively for his father’s hand, chilled from the coolness of the room. His fingers are rough and unmoving and Lee trails his eyes up the steps of the wound to his father’s face, pale and flat with unconsciousness. A long tube extends from his mouth to a ventilator, the steady mechanical rhythm pushing air into his father’s lungs.

With a sour stomach, Lee sits in a hard chair and holds Bill’s hand, moving his thumb gently across the dry flesh.

He waits for a while and then speaks about the events that are unfolding with Colonel Tigh and the President. In a softer voice, he murmurs his apology and his love, almost afraid for his father to hear. A deep sense of shame filters through him as he speaks, although after a while, his body loosens, unbinding as he shares his feelings with the Old Man. Unexpectedly, he begins to talk about Laura.

“I need to stand by her, dad. I don’t expect you to understand, or even approve, but she’s remarkable. Strong and brave and I believe in her. Not as a prophet or a leader to Earth, but as a woman and a human being who wants us to survive. She gets it, dad, on so many levels that are hard for me to even describe. But I want you to know that when I held that gun to Tigh’s head, it was not for her. It wasn’t. It wasn’t personal. And I want you to know that what I’m going to do in a few days is not personal either. I love you, dad.”

Tears sting and he releases his father’s hand. He sniffs and wipes at his eyes as he stands and turns to go. His heart feels lighter, less worried, and later, when he’s told his father is improving, Lee believes, in some small way, that maybe his prayers, so furtively and hesitantly begged days before, were answered by the gods.

:: :: ::

Laura paces in her cell, her eyes alternating between Corporal Venner and the hatch that keeps the brig locked away from the rest of the ship. She is waiting for Lee to come back to his cell from the battle with the metal cylons. The last time they met, his face was covered in blood and he was rushing them towards sick bay, warning them away from the gunfire.

 _We’re going towards the gunfire,_ were his last words to her.

After the all clear, she waited in sickbay as long as she could before Tigh barked an order at Coporal Venner to return her to a brig closer to sickbay. Now, nothing seems to relieve her worry and she realizes that it is her helplessness, caged inside this cell, that prevents her feeling calm. Renewed anger forces more energy into her steps as she paces. _The President of the Twelve Colonies should not be in a godsdamned cell._

Her anger only makes the waiting worse and soon she forces herself to settle, breathing and clearing her mind. She has to stay on her toes. Her situation could change at any time. _Focus, Laura._

When Lee finally comes to the brig several hours after that, Laura grips the bars, a grin of welcome on her face. Her breath quickens as she takes in his freshly shaven face and the small red slashes bright against his usually pale skin.

“Laura,” he breathes and smiles wide, as he steps a cell adjoining hers and crosses the divide to grip the bars too, his hands half-covering hers. Corporal Venner glances up briefly, but then turns away to read his magazine.

“Your face, Lee,” she says, eyeing the wounds on his brow and cheek.

“Oh, a cylon exploded on me,” he says, giving her a lopsided grin and capturing her fingers in his hand. “Sorry I took so long coming back, Tigh kept me doing reports for the Old Man. Says he’s keeping a tight ship until he returns.” Lee makes a face and Laura gives a half-laugh.

Corporal Venner shifts in his chair and Lee steps away, moving to the cot along the bars, sighing heavily as his weight settles into the bed. Laura tucks herself into her own corner cot and their bodies press together through the adjoining bars.

“I want to know. How are you feeling?” he asks, reaching out to touch her arm. She takes a deep breath and holds it for a long moment.

“The Chamalla is giving me a headache,” she mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose.

He turns his head and blinks at her, his eyes full of concern she doesn’t want to see. “Are you seeing Doc Cottle later? Your appointment was a few days ago, before all this.”

She lets out a quick breath. “I saw him already, yes. Thank you.” She leans away from the heat of his body, coolness filling the space between them. She doesn’t want this attention, this reminder from Lee that she’s still dying.

Laura stands from the cot, smoothing her hair and straightening her jacket before she asks the Corporal for a glass of water. She drinks the offered water and settles herself before she drops next to him again.

They sit for a while without talking, shoulders pressed together through the bars once more. Soon, her mind relaxes and she simply feels him against her, the line of his muscled arm, the steady rhythm of his breathing.

“You know,” he quips, “we’re spending more time together now than we ever did before. The brig isn’t all bad.”

Her eyes catch his, glinting with laughter. “Not exactly how I planned our romance to go, Captain,” she says with mock sternness.

“So you planned our romance, Madame President?” he asks, tilting his head and raising a brow.

Her voice takes on a husky tone as she leans closer, “Call it a Presidential privilege, Captain.”

:: :: ::

When the time comes, Elosha gathers her books and her prayer beads as quickly as she can, the nervous energy of the President’s aide, Billy, making her heart pound. During her last visit with Laura, she’d told Elosha to be prepared, that they planned to leave the Fleet and go to Kobol. Since that night, her mind has been filled with dreams, some mundane, but most prophetic as the words of Pythia stream through her unconscious mind. Those writings have always been a favorite of hers, but even as an acolyte, she saw them as just a history. Now, she realizes with a fluttering stomach, that the words describe the future as well.

“Captain Adama has arranged a raptor. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone,” Billy says, his voice wavering.

“I’m ready,” Elosha says, turning to him with a small bag, her voice filled with the certainty of a follower about to seek her god.

She follows him through the bowels of Colonial One to the hangar deck to board the waiting ship. With hurried motions, they shuffle on and snap their belts. Billy is more unsettled than she expects and she studies him, taking in the tightening muscle of his jaw, unusual in the soft flesh of his round face.

“You’re worried for Laura,” she states.

Billy blinks and looks at her as the ship eases off the tarmac and glides towards their destination. “Yes...” he swallows.

“But…” She has been counseling people for forty years and she reads them well.

“I can’t go with her to Kobol. I’m afraid to tell her. I think she needs me.” He raises the small container of medication he has clutched in his fingers. “I only have enough pills for two days here. What happens after that?” His voice becomes sad.

“The Lords watch over Laura Roslin now, Billy. Let them guide her healing.”

Billy stares for a moment and nods. He frowns and traces his thumb over the ridged cap of her medication bottle.

A few minutes later, the raptor settles down with a thump and Billy unhooks his belt, frowning at Elosha as he steps towards the opening hatch. “Thank you. Please take care of her.” His eyes are wide with hurt and guilt.

“The Lords will see her to her end,” she answers and watches move towards the edge of the wing. Her words, she knows, do not offer the comfort he seeks.

Her view of Galactica’s deck is narrow, but she can hear the shuffling of feet and sees Captain Adama pass in her line of vision. Soon Laura Roslin appears at the wing of the raptor, her face ashen and drawn. When Elosha catches her eyes, Laura’s face crumbles a little more. They’ve become friends, although now with her role in the scriptures, Elosha feels Laura’s need for her more acutely. It is as if the gods watch every move and Elosha must remain vigilant. She knows that Laura’s belief in her own power is not firm. It is her sacred duty to help Laura to her end.

Captain Adama helps the President into a seat and pulls the belts taut over her shoulders. She watches the pair under the veil of her lashes, the book of Pythia open, as always, on her lap, providing cover for her observations.

Her eyes linger on Captain Adama’s fingers as they squeeze Laura’s thin hands and Laura’s gaze softening under his ministrations. There is an energy between them, the young Captain and the President, and as they embark on this holy journey to the home of the Thirteenth Tribe, the writings of Pythia ring in her ears.

 _…a companion with the name of a god, a lover, and a betrothed_

As the ship lifts with a jolt off the tarmac, a plan begins to form in her mind.

:: :: ::

 _Astral Queen_

In the freezing temperatures of a soundproof food locker, Tom Zarek watches Lee Adama, the idealistic young man who managed to convince both the government and the Fleet to hold elections. As much as he respects the young captain, he sees the threat, the close connection that he obviously has with the President. They probably think their relationship is a secret, but after twenty years in prison, Tom is a master and reading the true nature of human interactions.

He watches Lee pace, his face drawn tight in annoyance, and he presses for his cooperation.

“Your father has taken on too much power, Lee. You know this. That is why you stood against him with President Roslin. Now we must take the final steps to ensure that the people follow the President’s path.” Tom Zarek’s voice is insistent.

Lee holds his eyes for a moment and then glances at Laura. Tom’s impressed that she remains so impassive, her face neither encouraging nor discouraging Lee’s next step. Like him, she suspects that Lee needs to believe he’s making the decision on his own.

Tom continues to press. “Our message must be clear. You have to denounce him.” It takes another moment and then Lee pauses, glancing at Laura one more time. She gives him nothing and Tom sees that without Laura’s approval, Lee will not move.

“Madame President. You’ve addressed the people. I was there. Your role as the prophet who will lead us to Earth is exactly what we need right now. But that alone is not enough. We have to highlight the discontent in the military under Adama’s rule. Lee is the perfect choice. You know what needs to be done.” Laura has held his eyes as he speaks, her expression neutral. Lee watches her, too, and he sees the man’s face fall as she nods.

Tom holds a breath and extends the microphone to Lee who hesitantly reaches out. Tom drops it into his hands and steps back.

Lee moves forward to touch the recording device, takes a breath and begins to speak, “My name is Lee Adama…”

His voice is strong as he speaks and Tom’s pulse quickens; they are almost there. All of his recent work is about to come to fruition and soon he will have the opportunity he has sought. He holds his body still, fearing to move and disturb what he is witnessing.

Lee stops suddenly, clamping his lips closed and stares hard at the ground. Tom grits his teeth, disappointed and irritated once more.

“Lee, we need this.” Laura’s voice sounds from behind them.

Lee’s face is momentarily surprised and then it tightens with anger. The hand has been misplayed. Lee drops the microphone and he gives Tom a hard stare before locking eyes with the President.

“I don’t want to be part of this. I won’t denounce my father. What he did was wrong, but he’s a good man.” He watches Lee spin on his heel and walk away from Laura. “You’ll have to find another way.”

With a curse, Lee shoves open the cold storage door and slams it behind him. Laura watches him leave, her face briefly pained before she pulls it into a calm façade.

Tom smiles ruefully, his eyes trained on hers, searching. “It appears that your young Captain is not as loyal to you as I expected.”

Laura pushes off the crate where she’s been sitting and pulls her coat more tightly around her body. “It appears the loyalty is at a premium these days, Mr. Zarek.”

“Indeed it is.” He watches Laura go out the hatch and shakes his head. Once again, he makes a new plan.

:: :: ::

Laura finds him a few minutes later in the conference room, tying his boot with sharp motions. He senses her presence and looks up. “How could you ask me to do that, Laura?”

“Tom Zarek asked you.” Her brow creases as she shrugs off her coat in the warmer confines of the room.

“And you agreed.” He stares at her, face alive with accusation.

Her lips press into hard line. “You held a gun to Commander Tigh’s head, Lee. Why is this so different?”

Lee snorts in disgust, “You don’t know me at all. They were coming to arrest you, to perform an illegal action, a military coup, and I was part of it. I couldn’t do it. And I won’t do this either.” He sets his jaw, eyes glinting with frustration and hurt.

Laura folds her arms across her chest and takes a step towards him. She ducks her head and takes a breath. “You’re right, of course, that was different.” She takes another step until their arms are almost touching. “But we need the support. We have the civilians, but your father has the firepower. Sometimes personal sacrifices have to be made.”

“But not this time, Laura. He’s already in a bed in sickbay. He’s sacrificed enough.” The sharpness of his tone is eased by the almost plaintive tilt of his eyebrows.

They face off for a long moment and then she glances away. “Okay. Not this time.”

Lee closes his eyes and holds a breath. When he opens them, his face softens, but the hurt remains. “Don’t surprise me, Laura. If you want to throw in with Tom, I want to be part of the plan.” He reaches for her hand and twines her fingers between his. “Don’t shut me out.”

He’s so earnest and prepared to be loyal that it makes her ache. “I have to think of the people, Lee. I’ll do what is necessary.”

Lee frowns, his eyes unfocused for a long moment, and then his face relaxes and he nods once, his gaze open again. Something in her heart loosens and her lips curve into a smile.

:: :: ::

Meier and Zarek argue with Lee about an unidentified contact on their DRADIS screens. With only seconds before another ship fires on the unmarked vessel, Kara’s voice rattles across the airwaves. Lee lets out a woosh of air, his heart beginning to pound inside his ribcage. Next to him, he catches Laura’s gaze and her slowly brightening features; Kara has returned! Some part of him has been terrified that Kara might not make it back, and that he would have to live with his death on his shoulders, not as a soldier, but as a trusted friend who encouraged her to follow the President. He paces the room, discharging restless energy until he hears footsteps in the hall. Laura is beside him eagerly awaiting Kara’s entrance.

The red light of the hallway illuminates Kara’s face before she steps through the entryway. Lee takes a few long strides and matches her grin before pulling her into a tight embrace. She hugs him back and they pull apart, still smiling. “You made it, Kara.”

“No thanks to the cylons, Lee.” Something in her tone is harder than he expects and he is about to ask when Laura steps forward.

“Lieutenant. I am so happy to see you back safely. Are you okay?” Laura stands next to Lee, their shoulders almost brushing as she addresses Kara.

Kara looks from one to the other and she smiles. “Yes, Madame President, I’m okay. I have—”

Kara’s words are interrupted by movement behind her and they turn towards the entrance, surprised to see others emerging.

A tall stranger steps through, his face tired but smiling. Lee recognizes him instantly. “Kara? Is that Sam Anders, the pyramid player?”

She laughs and moves towards the approaching pyramid player. “Yup. Come on.”

Lee follows and watches Kara link her arm through Sam’s before she introduces them. “Sam, this is Lee. And Lee already knows who you are.” Her face is bright with excitement and her hand is tight on Sam’s arm.

Lee blinks and extends his hand. “Nice to meet you, but what in the hell are you doing here?”

Kara laughs and looks at Sam. “It’s a long frakking story, Lee.”

Lee feels Laura's presence beside him and he shifts slightly, his hand hovering over her lower back. Kara catches Lee’s gaze and raises an eyebrow as the pyramid player and the President shake hands.

Another commotion at the door pulls Lee’s attention away from Kara and Sam. The familiar features of Sharon Valerii shock him into action and he draws his sidearm, rushing her and jamming her up against the bulkhead. Kara screams at him and suddenly Helo is there, too, inexplicably holding a sidearm to his head.

Kara and Karl are shouting but it’s only Laura’s voice that reaches his brain, and finally he lowers his weapon. She orders Sharon into custody and Lee is not far behind, trailing the cylon as they take her to the brig. Behind him, he hears that Kara does indeed have the Arrow of Apollo. In his heart, he is grateful, but the cylon’s presence has opened up new wounds and he is loath to let her out of his sight.

 

 **PART TWO**

 _Kobol_

The path to the Tomb of Athena is treacherous, filled with dense foliage and rocky slopes. All along the way, Elosha sees symbols and her voice filters back from near the front of the processional. Helo and Sam lead the group towards the Tomb of Athena with Sharon directing them in soft tones. Lee’s eyes ever go back to her dark hair, the image of his father’s limp body bleeding out. With every step, he hopes that they reach their destination; the idea of following her, no matter how much she knows, fills him with disgust.

His eyes are also on Laura, on her ragged breathing and pale complexion. They’ve been hiking for three hours and likely have another day to go. He reaches out a hand to support her from time to time, surprised when she readily accepts. _She must be tired._

The crowd soon stops and gathers near a clearing and Elosha references Pythia. “There should be markings here…” she steps forward and separates from the group, her eyes trained downward. “Yes, here they are.”

Without thinking, Lee surges forward, driven by an instinct he cannot explain. “Wait!” he shouts, grabbing Elosha’s arm and yanking her back hard. They both tumble back onto the ground as a bomb explodes, sending dirt and stones flying sharply in all directions.

The debris pellets them as they cower on the ground, Lee attempting to cover Elosha’s body with his.

“Frak!” he shouts a moment later, his eyes darting to the crater that marks the center of the explosion, mangled branches and shredded leaves scattered out from where the stone marker used to be. He stands, mentally checking for injury and reaches out a hand to help Elosha stand as well. “Are you okay?”

She lets him pull her up, holding onto his arm with shaking fingers, her wide and frightened eyes looking back to the spot where she almost died. “I-I’m okay.” Her voice stutters with fear as she swings her eyes back to Lee. “Thank you, Captain.”

Lee nods and releases her, turning towards the group and searching out Laura’s face, pale and flat with shock. She takes a hesitant step towards them.

“Stop,” he barks. “Everyone freeze.” Startled faces stare back at him. Lee looks away, examining the trees and bushes nearby. He takes two steps towards another ceremonial stone and looks over to Kara and Helo who have their weapons drawn and stand at either end of the group of travelers.

“Trip wires and detonators. They’re black and about as big as a fist.”

They search the area, finding several more traps hidden near the stones. Lee leads Elosha towards Laura and speaks to them both, his eyes lingering on Laura’s worried face. “Stay close to the trail. We’ll have to go more slowly now, but if you see anything you want to examine, let us know.”

Lee sends Helo ahead to scope out a path and when he returns, they move out. As the group begins to walk, Lee finds Laura again. “You okay?”

“That was close,” she whispers, her voice shaking as they leave the sacred area.

“Yeah it was.” He wraps his fingers around her bicep and tries not to think about how it could have been her.

“I’m all right, Lee,” she says, leaning into him as she steps over fallen branches.

“For now. Just stay close.” His grip tightens on her arm, needing to feel that she is safe more than she needs his support.

:: :: ::

As the sky grows dim, the group finds a clearing tucked under the thick cover of high trees and prepare to spend the night. Most of the travelers work to build makeshift tents from tarps and rope. When the shelters are completed and a fire started, they settle into small groups, eating and chattering about the landscape and the Tomb and other mundane topics.

Elosha approaches Lee and Laura as he opens his pack and pulls out their rations for dinner.

“May I speak to you, Madame President, Captain Adama?” She moves in and plans to sit with or without their acquiescence. Laura nods anyway and she settles herself onto fallen log and opens the book of Pythia on her lap.

“Would you like some food?” Lee asks, extending a tin. His eyes soften, crinkling at the edges, fanning out to make him appear older than his twenty-eight years.

She returns his smile with a shake of her head, asking for water instead. Reaching for a second cup, Lee pours and offers it to her. “Are you okay after your scare? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, Captain, of course not. You saved my life.” She drinks deeply and feels refreshed.

Lee finds a seat on the ground, leaning back against a tree with a sigh. “What were those markers anyway?” he asks he as he opens his rations.

“I am not sure exactly but Pythia indicates that the way to the Tomb is marked with stones. Their presence ensures us that we are on the proper path.” Elosha shifts from one hip to the other, easing the pain aches through the joint.

“The cylon obviously knows the way,” Laura offers and then touches her lips to her own cup of water and drinks. The settling darkness deepens the dark circles under Laura’s eyes and Elosha is once again reminded of the prophecy. _A wasting disease…_

Elosha clears her throat. “I have an important matter to discuss with you.”

Lee’s head pops up from opening his canteen and he leans forward, prepared to move. “Should I go?”

“No, Captain,” she says, pushing out her hand to wave him back, “You should stay. This concerns you, too.”

Lee glances at Laura. “It’s okay. Stay.” She smiles a little and he leans back against the tree, his face expectant.

“As you both know, the scriptures say that a dying leader shall lead the people to the promised land, and we know that you, Laura, are that leader. But Pythia also said something else…” Elosha glances at Lee and back to Laura again.

“No, Elosha.” Laura says sharply, shifting in her seat, her mouth drawn flat. “Let it go.”

The priestess smiles sadly at Laura. “I’m sorry Laura, but the prophecy must be fulfilled. You know there is only one path.”

Laura holds her gaze, unyielding, but Elosha continues to speak, directing her gaze at Lee. “Lee, the sacred scrolls speak of a dying leader, but they also mention someone else, a companion with the namesake of a god, a lover,” Lee blinks and glances at Laura as Elosha continues, “and a betrothed.” Elosha waits for the words to register and sees the moment when his eyes grow wide.

Lee’s face wrinkles in confusion before he speaks, “Betrothed? What do you mean? Engaged?”

When Elosha nods, Lee swallows and swings on Laura, his voice sharpening. “You knew about this?”

Laura shakes off his accusation with a toss of her hair and opens her mouth to speak. “There’s more, Lee.” They both look back to the priestess.

“Pythia also says that to see the way to Earth, you must share your vows under the signs of the gods.”

Now Lee gapes at her and shifts into a crouch. He gathers his belongings and stands. “This is too much. I can’t do this.” He refuses to meet Laura’s eyes before he turns his back and walks away.

They both watch him disappear into the darkness, away from the now brightening fire and into the woods nearby. Elosha’s gaze returns to Laura’s face, her hand over her mouth, eyes closed. “It is written, Laura.”

“I know.” She heaves a deep breath and releases slowly, her eyes opening. “Some part of me hoped it wouldn’t come to this, Elosha. I even hoped that we wouldn’t find the Tomb or that Lieutenant Thrace’s mission would fail.” Laura pinches her lips between steepled fingers. “I can’t ask him to do this. He’s right, Elosha, it’s too much. Damn.”

Elosha’s brow furrows and her lips purse in empathy. “You’re not asking him to do it, Laura. He has to come to it on his own, with a clear heart. As do you.” Ever has Laura had a difficult time accepting her role as a prophet. Now as the eve of their salvation approaches, the burden involves another participant, less prophetic, but necessary to complete the journey.

Moving to rise, Elosha’s hip once again twinges and she lengthens her back to ease the aches of an aging woman. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts,” she says and with one final glance at Laura, she departs.

:: :: ::

Kara finds Lee in the dark, his grunting efforts bouncing off the trees in the quiet. “What the hell is going on, Lee? The cylons can probably hear you from space.”

In the pale outline of the moon, she can just make out his face. “I’m gathering wood,” he says sharply.

“In the dark? Right…” she says and settles herself on a log, spinning a bottle around in her hands. “What’s up with you anyway? Helo said he saw you looking pissed as hell heading this way an hour ago.”

He doesn’t answer, just keeps moving around, his arms full of twigs and branches. She hears a thud and shakes her head as he shouts in pain. “Lee, sit down before you smack your head on a frakking tree.”

“Godsdamnit,” he says and slumps down next to her, his breath rasping in his throat.

They sit for a while, listening to the faint sound of voices in the camp in the distance. Kara shifts on the log, the pain in her abdomen still sharp.

“Caprica sucked,” she says and opens the bottle to drink.

“I can’t believe you got the arrow, Kara.”

“Me, neither.” She nudges his elbow and offers the bottle.

Lee takes a drink and sputters. “Frak!”

Kara laughs. “What? It’s not water...” Beside her Lee coughs again and groans.

“No kidding.” He drawls and takes another drink, wiping his mouth with a sleeve.

“This is all so frakked up, Kara.”

“What?”

“All this prophecy stuff. I never believed in the gods, or at least I was never sure. Now though…Laura… and the arrow. I don’t know what to believe now. It all seems so…real.”

“I almost didn’t get that arrow, you know. Nearly got killed by one of those blond cylons. Place was crawling with them. I know that if the gods hadn’t been watching my ass, I’d be dead in a crater at that frakking Museum.”

“I’m sorry, Kara.”

Her brow wrinkles and she looks at him sidelong, the profile of his face contrasted against an opening in the trees. “For what?”

“For asking you to go on that mission. You could have died.” His voice sounds a little broken.

“I didn’t do it for you, Lee. I did it because I believe. And because your dad sold me a load of crap. I went to find Earth cause I’m damn sick of this.” She takes another drink and shifts again, straightening her knee for a moment and then letting it drop.

“Thank you.” He turns his head and stares at her, his eyes filled with gratitude and warmth. Their gaze lingers, as it sometimes does and she looks away. Those old feelings are long buried and they’re both with someone else now.

“So, how about Sam Anders, huh? Who’d have thought it?” Her loud chuckle rattles off the trees and she takes another drink before passing the bottle again to Lee.

“Weird times, Kara…” He tilts the bottle up against his lips, swallows, and hands it back.

“Yeah.”

They sit in silence for a while passing the bottle until Kara speaks softly. “I’ve read Pythia, Lee.”

Even in the dimming moonlight, she sees his eyes flash at her as she continues, “I know what the prophecy says. I didn’t put it together until I saw you both talking to Elosha. You gonna do it?”

Lee moves off the log and begins to pace. “I don’t know. It’s crazy. I’m not even thirty, Kara.” He lets out a groan of frustration and leans on a tree, his forehead resting on his hands against the bark. “It’s so frakked up.”

Kara shakes her head at him. “You love her, right?”

He breathes his answer as much as says it. “Yeah.”

“So, don’t be a frakking idiot.” Kara hops off the log and wipes her hands on her pants. “Gonna head back to the fire. Good hunting, Captain.”

Lee turns to face her, “See you later…and thanks.”

She nods, pulls her jacket tighter around her waist and heads back to camp.

:: :: ::

The sound of voices and the rustling of the blue tarp near her head rouses Laura out of a dreamless sleep. She blinks and raises up on an elbow, eyes adjusting to the light of morning.

“It’s okay. It’s me.” Lee’s voice is rough and Laura sees him duck under the tarp and twist around to sit at the edge of her sleeping mat. His face is tired, stubble thicker than the day before and he smiles hesitantly. “How did you sleep?”

Laura shifts under the blanket and sits up yawning. “As well as can be expected. And you?” She peels off the blanket that wrapped around her legs, leaving it in a pile near her feet.

“Same.” He dips his head and fingers the edge of the blanket. “I’m sorry I didn’t come back to camp last night.” He lifts his eyes. “I should have stayed nearby.”

She nods. “We both had a lot of thinking to do.”

“Yeah,” he says sadly, the weight of their decision sitting between them.

“I fear that if we abandon our course now, all will be lost. Everything that we sought when we left Fleet will never come to pass and Earth may never found.” Sadness furrows his brow as she continues, “It is imperative that we take this step.” Her voice is soft but firm and her eyes never leave his.

“Laura…” he says, shaking his head slightly. She hears the doubt in his voice, the feeling of being pushed into a corner, shoved into a role he never wanted. She knows that feeling and her heart aches for this proud man who has stood by her side since that very first day.

“I know you will do the right thing, Lee.” She sees the flickering emotion wash over his features and ignores a pang of guilt. _This has to be done._

A shout from outside grabs their attention. “Lee!”

Laura’s head snaps towards Kara’s voice barking his name. Lee turns quickly and ducks out of the tent. She hears urgent whispers and the soft swoosh-click she’s come to associate with a weapon being drawn. Her heart rattles in her chest as Lee’s footsteps move away from the tent. Peeking through a slit in the tarp, she sees Kara behind a tree, Helo on a ridge and Lee sliding along the edge of another tent, all with their weapons drawn and eyes focused. Lee disappears around the corner and she hears a familiar voice.

“Put down your weapon, son.”

:: :: ::

Later, when the commotion subsides, people cluster to eat a quick breakfast before continuing the journey. Sharon is being held separately from the group, but at least Bill has allowed her to live and Laura’s hopes of finding the Tomb are also alive. A thin rain patters on the tarp overhead as she sits quietly with Bill after their talk. His skin is more ashen than usual, but his eyes are still the bright blue she remembers.

Her mind still reels from Bill’s apology and she’s unexpectedly grateful that he has come to Kobol to reunite the Fleet. The split in their leadership has troubled her as much as angered her and this peace feels better. It is the right way to embark on what she hopes will be the final part of their journey home.

“Kara surprised me by disobeying my orders,” Bill says, glancing at Kara and Lee across the camp by the fire. His voice holds no anger.

“She’s a believer, Bill.” She appraises him briefly before continuing. “And so is Lee.”

Bill snorts. “Lee? That’s a surprise.”

Laura just smiles. “What about you, Bill?”

He chuckles. “Nah. I’m too old and too hard to change now.”

“Even if much of what was written thirty-six hundred years ago has come to pass?” She feels compelled to push him, to try to make him understand.

“Words can be manipulated to fit any context. I need to see it with my own two eyes.” He smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners, much like Lee’s.

“What if the arrow works, Bill? And what if the Tomb of Athena shows us the way? Will you believe it then? When we are standing on Earth? Then?” Laura challenges him and he watches her speak, his face kind and impassive.

“I might, Laura. I might.” His gaze shifts back over to Lee and he releases a long breath. “To be honest, I don’t really care about Earth. I just want to find a place for Lee and Kara and the rest of them. Where doesn’t really matter.”

Laura watches him for a moment and then follows Bill’s eyes to Lee laughing with Kara. _He’s so young,_ she thinks, her mind still coming to terms with this thing that she will do.

“And if it means a sacrifice, Bill? A leap of faith that changes a life forever?”

Bill’s brow wrinkles and he smiles sadly at her. “Sometimes you gotta roll the hard six, Laura. Faith, instinct…call it what you will. We’ve both made some hard calls and we will again...” He shifts his gaze back to his son and Laura nods at his profile.

“Thank you, Bill.”

:: :: ::

Bill’s chest begins to ache again, a tight pulling pain that feels like his ribs are spreading apart. The timing of this expedition to the Tomb of Athena could not be worse. The fight a few hours ago with the cylon has sapped most of the strength of his hard fought recovery in sickbay. Now, he stands with her weapon in his hand and a profession that she makes her own choices. She has killed a man in his defense, but he still groans at the absurdity of her loyalty and walks away, tucking the weapon into his belt.

Behind him, the body of one of Zarek’s associates with a matching gun. Enemies here are more than just cylons these days. Separated from the others and partially hidden behind thick foliage, he sees his son and the President standing together and he approaches. The path curves around and as the two of them come into full view, he slows his pace, taking in a scene his mind rejects. Lee stands close, his fingers tightly intertwined with Laura’s as they speak softly. Bill stops short when Lee’s face suddenly brightens and he grins and pulls Laura into a tight hug. He hears her throaty laughter and he blinks hard. His eyes open wide and his jaw sets a second later. _Military advisor, my ass,_ he thinks.

Bill steps forward, loosening stones that tumble down the path. Lee starts and turns his head to the sound, catching Bill’s eyes for a brief second before he leans close to whisper into Laura’s ear. They both look in his direction and Laura steps back, her hands tight behind her back, eyes slightly averted. Bill feels a sense of pride that his son is not going to pretend. And apparently, neither is the President.

Lee’s brows are raised slightly as walks up the grade and sees Bill holding his chest again. “Dad, are you okay?”

Bill releases the breath and drops the hand he did not even realize had been pressed to his sternum. “Still sore, son.”

Shifting nervously, Lee begins, “Dad, I guess you know what I want to talk to you about.”

Bill’s lips curve down and he nods towards Laura. “Think so, son.” He pauses and takes a breath, calming his ire and remembering the joy on Lee’s face moments ago. “Looks like you are more than her military advisor,” Bill says, keeping his tone neutral.

Lee smiles awkwardly. “I am, dad. For a while now.” Lee dips his head and avoids his father’s stare.

Bill frowns, but stays silent. There are too many things he wants to say that will not help any of them.

Lee takes a breath and locks eyes with him. “I don’t expect you to understand. I just…I wanted to tell you, that’s all. And that maybe you'll accept it. Maybe not right now, but someday.” Lee sets his jaw in that way that Bill recognizes so well.

“Someday, son. It’s a lot to put my head around.” Bill tries to smile, but all he manages is to glower a little less.

“And, dad, there’s something else.” Lee hesitates, licking his lips and shifting in place. “The prophecy in Pythia—”

A shout from across the hilltop interrupts them. “Commander!” He turns around to see Tyrol and Sharon near an outcropping of rocks and trees. “We’ve found something, sir.”

Bill swings back to Lee who opens his mouth again to speak. “We’ll have to finish this another time, son,” he says and heads towards the Chief.

Helo and Chief pull away an overgrowth of vines that cover a wide stone door at the top of the slope. It is without markings and he looks around at the few faces clustered nearby.

He can barely look at the cylon as she speaks, “It’s the Tomb of Athena, sir.”

:: :: ::

The Book of Pythia is nestled protectively under Elosha’s arm as three strong men push and shove at the door to the Tomb. With a deep grating sound, the stone slides free and everyone breathes a collective sigh. She watches as the Commander and the young officer Karl Agathon, lover to the cylon, move out of the way, motioning for Kara, the arrow-bearer, and Laura, the prophet, to enter.

Lee also waves Elosha along behind them and she smiles in thanks. His face, like the others’ is alive with anticipation and the extra years she thought she saw on his face the night prior have disappeared. He follows her into the tomb and the others trail after. Soon the cavernous space is filled with chatter and guesses about the broken remains of statues littering the floor.

As they circle around the dimly lit space, Commander Adama announces that the Sagittaron archer’s bow is missing something. Kara Thrace steps forward to play her role in their salvation; Elosha can see the trembling motions as she drops the arrow onto the outstretched arm of the statue of the stone archer.

Elosha holds her breath and adjusts her headscarf, eyes darting for some sign from the gods. In a moment, a growing brightness appears along the far wall, an archway lit in shimmering gold light.

Nervous laughter fills the cavern and she feels a presence at her side. Laura’s face glows in the light of the archway and Elosha’s breath catches; she is witnessing a miracle. “Will you come with me?”

All she can do is nod because her heart is fluttering in her chest. She clutches the Book of Pythia as they step forward and into the shimmering light.

:: :: ::

A single golden sun, low in the sky, spreads a pale light over those gathering in the high grass. Surrounding them, twelve monoliths loom overhead, blank except for the natural features of the dark gray stone. There are no other markings and the ground is empty save the grass and the new visitors.

One by one, followers appear between the monoliths and step into the field, their faces alive with wonder as they take in the remarkable beauty of this place. Laura’s heart pounds as she surveys the stones, touching each as if she could pull out their history through her fingertips. Lee is nearby, his eyes wide with surprise, and she knows that his doubts are gone now, too. His part in the journey, like hers, is coming to fruition.

In this place, she feels her body relax, her mind letting go of the ever constant mental image of the tumor growing inside her breast. It fades, shrinking into nothing as she walks around in a wide circle, fingers grazing each stone like a child running along a white picket fence. _Three thousand years they have been waiting to reveal their secrets._

As the light begins to fade, her pulse quickens and she seeks out her betrothed, smiling as he approaches. They’ve only been engaged for a few hours and she feels like a teenager about to have her first kiss, body trembling with fear and longing, her surety challenged by the strange and unfamiliar events that will soon pass.

She takes a deep breath as Elosha approaches, waving Lee to stand next to her. With the setting sun, they must marry, commit to a union that will reveal the final clues to Earth. Lee comes close and they stand shoulder to shoulder, their fingers just brushing. Behind them, they hear the rustle of bodies coming forward and Elosha opens the book of Pythia. The murmurs of the crowd are silenced as she begins to speak.

“It is written…”

:: :: ::

The twelve constellations sparkle overhead, their twinkling light illuminating the small field. The wedding celebration has ended and everyone has gone back to the area outside the tomb to sleep. Lee lies in the grass, propped up against the stone that marks the sign of Aquarius, his fingers caressing Laura’s bare shoulder. She is tucked into his side, one long leg draped across his thighs as they talk.

“I remember camping with my father and falling asleep under the stars like this. Different stars, but I think that was when I wanted to be a pilot. Not because my father was one, but because I wanted to see them up close.”

“And now…?”

“Now, I just want to close my eyes. I’ve seen enough stars, enough of space to last a lifetime. I want to settle down, have a life now.”

“You will, Lee. A beautiful life.” Laura’s voice is wistful and lighter than he's heard from her in a long time.

“But the prophecy,” he interrupts, his voice serious.

“I know, Lee. And it will come true.”

“I don’t want it to come, Laura. I’d rather stay here, pretend that the rest won't happen. I want to close my eyes.”

“Open your eyes, Captain,” she says, her voice taking on the teacher’s tone that he teases her about. “I have been dying since the day you met me.”

“Laura...” he warns and shifts his position, sitting up higher against the pillar.

She moves to face him, her breasts bare and skin pale in the weak light of the stars. “Listen to me, Lee Adama. My death means nothing. The people, the human race, it must survive. You have to see to that. You and your father and that old bastard Saul Tigh. All of you. Do the right thing, Lee. I trust you.”

With emotion rushing into his throat, he looks away, eyes stinging. _I’m not ready._

Laura lies back down alongside his chest, her head tucked into the crook of his shoulder. “But not yet.” She tilts her hips closer, lips dotting a path of kisses along his shoulder to his jaw and mouth.

He breathes a sigh and kisses her. “Okay, Madame President. Not yet.”


End file.
